Commodity dispensing package and wrapper therefor



S. ROSEN Aug.. 12, 1952 COMMODITY DISPENSING PACKAGE AND WRAPPER THEREF'OR Filed oct. :50i/"1947 u INVENTUR.

COMMODITY DISPENSING PACKAGE AND WRAPPER THEREFOR Shy Rosen, New York, N. Y., assignor to Milprint,

Inc., Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Dela- Ware Application october so, 1947, serial No. 782,995

co1. s- 57) 2 Claims.

My present invention relates in general to improvements in the art of packaging piece meal dispensable commodities, and relates more specically to an improved mode of Wrapping groups of similar articles or objects in a manner whereby successive pieces of eachenwrapped batch may be conveniently withdrawn without destroying the general contour of the package.

It has heretofore been customary to pack batches or groups of nested articles such as sanitary napkins and other tissues, in rigid car.-

tons each provided with a slot through which the successive articles could be withdrawn as required, after the dispensing slot had been opened. In some cases these tissues are folded, stacked and nested so that removal of each individual article will eject the edge portion of a succeeding tissue, thereby facilitating withdrawal of the articles in succession; and While this method of packaging in rigid cartons is quite satisfactory, it is rather costly, and is in fact prohibitive for use in small pocket size packs where the cost of the Awrapper may actually exceed the value of the commodity itself. Due to the delicate nature of thisgeneraliclass of articles, it is however, necessary to prevent excessive crushing or distortion of the batches by maintaining the general contour of the packages until all of the tissues have been dispensed, and the rather rigid prior but expensive cartons were well adapted to serve this purpose.

It is however an object of the present invention to provide an improved package for coniining relatively small groups or batches of nested articles such as tissues, in relatively simple and inexpensive liexible wrappers, and in a manner whereby undesirable marring or creasing of the residual articles is avoided, while still permitting convenient withdrawal of the successive tissues from the pack.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved commodity dispensing package for a group of relatively frail and delicate articles, wherein the prearranged and nested articles of the enclosed group are retained in neatly arranged condition and are amply protected against undesirable crushing until the last article of the group has been dispensed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and durable flexible wrapper for a multiplicity or stack of articles such as napkins or other tissues, which may be readily manufactured at moderate cost, and which may also be conveniently applied to the commodity to produce an effective enclosure from which the successive articles may be quickly removed at will.

Still another object of my present invention isv to provide a eXible inexpensive wrapper fora plurality of closely nested relatively flat articles,

which is adapted to be applied to a group of ,suchA articles to effectively protect the same, whilepro-j viding an enclosure or package having a clis-n pensing slot bounded by relativelyrigid guidingvr edges for facilitating convenient and systematic withdrawal of the lsuccessive, confined piecesof commodity.

These and other objects and advantages of thev invention will be apparent from thegfollowing detailed description.

A clear -conception of the several improved fea tures involved in my new package, and of the; manner in which several modificationsuof thel improved package may be assembled and utilized, may be had by referring to the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this speci? cation wherein like reference characters designate the same or similar parts inthe various views.

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective viewilliistrative of the initial lsteps involved in the production of one type of the present improved wrappers and packages; Fig. 2 is a slightly enlarged perspectivevievvl of a complete package embodying a wrapper 'pro-l.

duced as depicted in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a further enlarged transverse section taken through the package of Fig. 2 near one end thereof, and showing the dispensing slot opened by removal of the tear strip and also depicting thev manner in Which the batch of napkins or tissues is nested within the wrapper; Fig. 4 is another diagrammatic perspective view illustrating the initial steps involved in the production of a modified type of the improved wrappers;

Fig. 5 is a slightly enlarged perspective4 view of a complete package embodying a wrapper prof duced as in Fig. 4, showing the article dispensing slot being opened by removal of the tear strip v Fig. 6 is an additional diagrammatic perspective view depicting the initial steps involvedv in the j' production of a further modified type of my improved Wrappel'S; and

described herein as being especially advantageously applicable in the production of packages containing batches of relatively flat folded and stacked tissues or paper napkins, it is not my desire or intent to unnecessarily restrict'the scope or utility of the improvement by virtue of. this limited disclosure, since the improved features of the method, wrapper and package may be more generally applied in packing diverse other commodities adapted for piece meal dispensation.

The primary purpose of my present invention is to provide an inexpensive but durable and highly protective wrapper for batches of relatively delicate strips or sheets of material, such as folded napkins or tissues, and in accordance with the improvement I provide a flexible wrapper sheet reenforced at selected areas so as to maintain the original or natural shape of the final package to which the sheet is applied, and also having a removable section cooperable with an article dispensing opening and with the reenforcement so as to facilitate Withdrawal of the successive articles without undesirably disrupting the package contour. The flexible wrapper stock employed in the primary wrapping sheet may be either transparenter opaque material adapted to be supplied "from rolls in strip or ribbon formation; and theauxiliary reenforcing stock may be somewhat stiffer opaque or transparent material,either adhesively attached to the primary sheets, or loosely coacting therewith at the requisite localities sok as to produce the 'desired results. Each of thel composite wrappers produced from the primary and auxiliary stock, is preferably provided with an elongated removable tear strip either formed of the primary stock alone, or of the auxiliary stock alone, or of both primary and auxiliary stock, or as a separate element, adapted to coactl with one or more of the reenforcing sheets so as to provide a well defined dispensing slot having relatively rigid opposite edges.

Referring especially to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the improved Wrappers revealed therein may be formed as illustrated diagralnrnatically in Fig. l, by simultaneously delivering a band of primary relatively thin but durable stock I from asupply roll I I, together with two parallel laterally spaced ribbons of auxiliary and somewhat stiffer sheet material I2 derived from a supply roll I3, in superimposed relation. rlfheadvancing stock I0 and material I2 may be adhesively united and severed transversely along lines I4 to produce a succession of completed rectangular wrappers each having an elongated tear strip I5 disposed in the gap between the parallel reenforcing ribbons I2 thereon, and each tear strip I5 being provided with an end tab I6 at one extreme end thereof. The stock I 0 may be transparent regenerated cellulose or the like whilethe material I2 may be heavier paper stock, and either or both of these composite wrapper elementsmay be. printed or otherwise supplied with indicia visible from the outside and designating the origin and nature of the commodity which is to be packed in the wrappers.

After the flexible wrappers have been thus produced, each wrapper may be applied to a group or batch of articles, such as a stack of superimposed folded napkins or tissues I8, by placing .each batch upon a stiff rectangular plate of cardboard I9 and by causing the` reenforcing ribbons to contact the uppermost tissue I8 while the side and end portions of the wrapper are folded about the group and are adhesively united at the end folds 20 and along the bottom seam 2|, to produceV a completed package as shown in Fig. 2. The tissues I8 are preferably stacked and nested in a manner whereby the longitudinal edge 22 of the uppermost tissue will be disposed directlyy beneath) the tear strip I5 of the enclosr.

ing wrapper which extends centrally across the top of the package; and the successive tissues It are also preferably folded and have their adjacent longitudinal edge portions overlapped, so that removal of the uppermost article or tissue will always pull the upper longitudinal edge of the next lower tissue I8 upwardly through the dispensing slot, 23, as illustrated in Fig. 3. Each package may be opened to provide an unobstructed elongated dispensing slot 23 such as shown in Fig. 3, by merely grasping the tab I6 of the tear strip I5 and by tearing the strip I5, longitudinally from the package in the manner indicated in Fig. 5.

While the tear strip I5 of Figs. l to 3 inclusive, has been formed of primary stock Ill alone, this tear strip may also be formed in various other ways, either separate from or integral with the reinforcing material I2. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5 for example, the tear strips 25 are of a composite nature, and the successive wrappers are formed by simultaneously delivering a band of primary stock I0 from its supply roll II, and a single ribbon 2S of reenforcing material from an auxiliary supply roll 27, in superimposed relationship, after the ribbon 26 has been provided with parallel longitudinal central lines of per-- forations 28 by means of perforators 29 so as to form the tear strips 25. The superimposed band Ill and ribbon 26 may be adhesively united in any suitable manner, after which the composite band or ribbon may be severed along lines I4 to produce the successive completed wrappers. As in the previous embodiment of the invention, the tear strip 25 may be provided with an end starting tab IB, and the stock I0 may be either plain or printed, transparent or opaque relatively thin and flexible material, while the reenforcing ribbon 26 may be either plain orprinted, opaque or transparent more tenacious and stiffer material.

The completed wrappers produced as shown in Fig. 4, may likewise be applied to individual groups or batches of folded napkins or tissues I8 to produce packages such as shown in Fig. 5, each having a tear strip 25 spanning its upper portion. These modified packages may likewise -be opened by ripping the tear strips 25 therefrom as depicted, so as to provide an open central slot 23, and in order to facilitate removal of the first napkin I8 its uppermost edge portion may be spot glued to the underside of the adjacent tear strip 25 so that this edge portion will be lifted upwardly through the adjacent sloty 23 as the tear strip 25 is being withdrawn, The modified package of Fig. 5 is also preferably provided with a lower internal cardboard reenforcing plate I9 of approximately 'the same shape as that of the folded tissues I8.

Although the upper reenforcing and tear strip elements of the embodiments of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, have been formed from continuous ribbons of material or stock,

such procedure isnot essential, and these upper elements may also be produced andl applied as illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7. In accordance, with this further modification of the invention, p reformed pads 3i of reenforcing material may be successively deposited upon an advancing b and of primary flexible wrapper stock I 0, and` ad; hesively united therewith along areas 32, Each of the pads 3! is spanned longitudinally by paallel rows of perforations 28 to provide a removable tear strip 33 having an end tab I6, andthe stock ribbon I5 may again beseveredtransversely midway between the successive pads 3| along lines I4 to produce the successive completed wrappers.

These modied Wrappers may also be applied to groups or batches of folded and stacked tissues I8 to provide packages such as shown in Fig. 7, each having a tear strip 33 extending longitudinally across its top, but in the package of Fig. 7 the upper reenforcing plates 3| are disposed externally of the primary Wrapper sheet I3, Whereas in the packages of Figs. 2 and 5 the upper reenforcing sheets I2, 26 may be located within the main Wrapper sheet I0.

In each of the embodiments shown, the present invention obviously provides a simple system for producing abundantly reenforced exible Wrappers adapted to enclose batches of relatively delicate articles such as tissues I8 so as to produce compact packages each having a stiff-sided article dispensing slot 23 and capable of maintaining their original shapes or contours until the last tissue has been dispensed. Each type of the improved package is amply reenorced adjacent to at least one edge of the dispensing slot Where the most extreme Weakness occurs when the slot-concealing tear strip is removed, and While the bottom plate I9 facilitates neat stacking of the batches of commodity, the use of this plate is not essential in cases where relatively stiff or self-sustaining articles are enclosed vvithpensation or removal'of the successive pieces. Y

The improved Wrappers may be economically produced by the improved method, and provide neat and compact packs which are adapted to maintain their original shapes in spite of considerable abuse. The tear strips of the improved packages do not separate the Wrappers into separate parts as in prior packages having access facilitating tear strips or cords, but my present tear strips merely open the dispensing slots Without destroying the rigidity of the packs embodying the ilexible wrappers. The improved wrappers while being especially useful for the purpose of enwrapping tissues or the like, may also be advantageously utilized for diverse other purposes, and while these wrappers have proven highly successful and practical in actual use as applied to tissue, they obviously may be applied to batches of other strip or sheet-like commodity. It is also to be noted that a rigid edge along one side of each slot or opening is all that is required in order to maintain the desired shape of the 6 package at the dispensing opening and to facilitate Withdrawal of the commodity.

It should be understood that it is not desired tolimit this invention to the precise details of construction or use of the exible wrappers, herein shown and described, for various modiiications within the scope of the appended claims may occurV to persons skilled in the art; and it is also contemplated that specic descriptive termsused herein be given the broadest possible interpretation consistent with the actual disclosures.v

I claim:

1. A commodity package comprising, a stack of Ilatly folded highly flexible articles having overlapping adjacent edges, a flexible Wrapper enclosing the stack and having therein relatively stiff re-enforcing sheets 'of approximately the same size and shape as that of the articles snugly engaging the bottom and top of the stack, the Wrapper and the upper re-enforcing sheet being spanned by a tear strip removable to provide a slot extending entirely across the package and the uppermost article having an upper free edge directly adjacent to and extending along the slot, and said tear strip being cooperable with said upper free edge to pull the same through the slot when the tear strip is removed.

2. A commodity package comprising, a stack of flatly folded highly ilexible articles having overlapping adjacent edges, a flexible wrapper enclosing the stack and having therein relatively sti re-enforcing sheets of approximately the same size and shape as that of the articles snugly engaging the bottom and top of the stack, the wrapper and the upper re-enforcing sheetr being spanned by a tear strip removable to provide a slot extending entirely across the package and the uppermost article having an upper free edge directly adjacent to and extending along the slot, and said strip being attached to said upper free edge to pull the same through the slot when said tear strip is removed.

SHY ROSEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 877,347 Lazor Jan. 21, 1908 1,203,592 De Escobales Nov. 7, 1916 1,797,380 Thompson Mar. 24, 1931 1,827,636 Ames Oct. 13, 1931 1,900,953 Rosen Mar. 14, 1933 1,952,382 MacGregor Mar. 27, 1934 1,977,687 Medoi Oct. 23, 1934 2,042,073 vRose May 26, 1986 2,080,729 McConnell May 18, 1937 2,129,887 Tamarin iSept. 13, 1938 2,144,265 Milmoev Jan. i7, 1939 2,315,116 Flizikowski Mar. 30, 1943 2,322,594 Russell June 22, 1943 2,343,222 Nelson Feb. 29, 1944 

